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HOA management in Wake Forest, NC

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North Carolina, or the Town of Wake Forest Nc

Wake Forest, North Carolina, or the Town of Wake Forest, is mostly located in Wake County, with a very small portion being in Franklin County. Wake Forest is directly northeast of Raleigh, NC, the state capital. Wake Forest was incorporated in 1880. The 2010 U.S. Census placed Wake Forest’s population at 30,117. The U.S. Census 2019 population estimate was 45,629. Wake Forest’s zip codes are 27587 & 27588.

Dr. Calvin Jones (April 2, 1775 – September 20, 1846) built a plantation on 615 acres of woodlands in northeastern Wake County, North Carolina in 1820. This area is what eventually became known as Wake Forest. Jones moved from Raleigh to the plantation in Wake Forest after already having a very remarkable life thus far. He was a medical doctor, trustee of the University of North Carolina, served in the North Carolina General Assembly, mayor of Raleigh, Grand Master of Masons, adjutant general of the North Carolina militia during the War of 1812, militia major general, and newspaper owner. Two interesting points about the founder of Wake Forest:

-In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson called out the North Carolina militia to help address the Chesapeake-Leopard affair. Jones, only a militia captain at that point, raised a troop of cavalry who became known as the Wake Troop of Calvary. After the tensions of the Chesapeake-Leopard affair receded, Jones’ cavalry were no longer needed, however, he continued to drill and train his cavalry troop. His leadership abilities were soon noted, and in 1808 he was appointed adjutant general of the North Carolina militia.

-Jones resigned his position as adjutant general of the North Carolina militia at the outbreak of the War of 1812. This was necessary for him to accept an appointment to Major General of the Seventh North Carolina District of Militia. A little-known War of 1812 battle was the attempted surprise British attack on New Bern, North Carolina. The Royal Navy on July 11, 1813 landed at Ocracoke and Portsmouth. When word reached New Bern of the imminent British invasion, militia units from around the state gathered at New Bern. Major General Jones moved his Seventh North Carolina to New Bern, and he assumed command of all militia forces in the area. With the militia’s show of force and realization that they had lost the element of surprise, the British retreated and sailed back into the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1832, Jones sold his Wake Forest plantation to the North Carolina Baptist Convention for $2,000. On this site, the Baptist founded the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute, which would later become Wake Forest College. Enrollment began in 1834 with the first class of 16 young men.

The Raleigh & Gaston Railroad constructed a depot in 1840 in Forestville, a nearby town less than two miles south of Wake Forest. The new railway was a positive economic driver for the entire area. Wake Forest’s college leaders lobbied the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad to relocate the depot closer to the college in 1874. This relocation of the depot was even more of an economic driver to the college and the Wake Forest area. In 1880, the town was incorporated as the “Town of Wake Forest College.” The word “College” was later removed from the town’s name in 1909.

Wake Forest College moved to its current location of Winston-Salem in 1956. A common pun at the time was a play on R.J. Reynolds’ Camel Cigarette’s slogan which was: “I’d walk a mile for a Camel!” The pun was, ‘how far would Wake Forest College go for a Camel?’ The punch line, ‘a hundred miles.’ Representing the 100 miles that the college moved to Winston-Salem because of the substantial financial support given by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to make the move.

The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary purchased the original Wake Forest campus by the time Wake Forest had competed their move to Winston-Salem. Formed in 1950 by the Southern Baptist Convention, the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary began with a fall enrollment in 1951 on the then current campus of Wake Forest College. The current Appleby Hall building was the primary location for the Seminary’s classes and religious instruction from 1951 to 1956. Once the sale of the campus by Wake Forest College was completed in 1956, the Seminary utilized the rest of the campus for classes and religious instruction.

The today campus of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is renowned for the Georgian architecture and the beautifully kept grounds. Magnificent magnolias, elms, oaks, and maples make up the basis of the beautiful grounds. Many of these trees are hundreds of years old, and there are a number of white oaks from the original “Wake Forest” forest that was originally in the area.

As evidenced by the U.S. Census, the population of Wake Forest for their first Census in 1880 of 456 to their Census in 1980 of 3,780, multiplied by eight. In the last forty years, 1980 Census to the U.S. Census 2019 estimate of 45,629, the population multiplied by twelve.

Historical population
Census Pop. %±

1880 456 —

1890 858 88.2%

1900 823 −4.1%

1910 1,443 75.3%

1920 1,425 −1.2%

1930 1,536 7.8%

1940 1,562 1.7%

1950 3,704 137.1%

1960 2,664 −28.1%

1970 3,148 18.2%

1980 3,780 20.1%

1990 5,769 52.6%

2000 12,588 118.2%

2010 30,117 139.3%

2019 (est.) 45,629 51.5%

Highways & Roads
U.S. 1 or Capital Boulevard runs through Wake Forest.
NC 96 and NC 98 also are convenient to Wake Forest.

Public transportation
Wake Forest is served by the Triangle Transit Authority.

Rail Service
Amtrak does not offer passenger service through Wake Forest. Raleigh has an Amtrak station with regular passenger service that is around an 18-mile drive from Wake Forest.

Air Service
Air service most convenient for Wake Forest is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). The following airlines currently serve Raleigh-Durham: Air Canada Express, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, and United Express.

Education
The schools in Wake Forest are part of Wake County Schools System and are well rated from primary to secondary. There are eleven top ranked colleges or universities in the Wake Forest area.

Performing Arts
The Wake Forest Dance Festival is held annually in the fall at E. Carroll Joyner Park.

Historical Locations
The W. E. B. DuBois School was opened in 1926 to serve the African-American children of Wake Forest during racial segregation that was abolished in 1971. The original school was vacant for a decade until it was purchased by the DuBois Alumni Association and turned into a community center. The DuBois Center is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In Wake Forest the Bailey-Estes House, Glen Royall Mill Village Historic District, Lea Laboratory, Oakforest, Powell House, Purefoy-Chappell House, Purefoy-Dunn Plantation, Rock Cliff Farm, Royall Cotton Mill Commissary, South Brick House, Thompson House, Wakefield Dairy Complex, and Wakefields are listed on National Register of Historic Places.

The Calvin Jones Historical House (Also known as the Wake Forest Historical Museum), constructed in 1820 by Dr. Calvin Jones (April 2, 1775 – September 20, 1846). Of the many museum displays, the town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest College ( University) histories are well represented.

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